Freeze Frame: The History of Capturing Music Through the Lens

Music photography has a rich and diverse history that spans well over a century. Since the earliest days of photography, artists have recognized the power of visual imagery to capture the essence of music and musicians. Early music photography was largely documentary in nature, but as the music industry evolved, so did the art of capturing it through the lens.

Sid Vicious of The Sex Pistols reads MAD Magazine. Bob Gruen. Jan 1978

The early days of music photography can be traced as far back as the mid 1800s. In the 1860s, sheet music began to incorporate photographs of popular contemporary singers and motific illustrations related to specific songs. Some of these covers even became collector's items. For example, in San Francisco during the 1870s, photographers Bradley and Rulofson sold sheet music with photographic prints of performers framed by lithographs. These editions fetched a higher price than non-photographic versions and were sold as nifty souvenirs to theatregoers after performances in the city.

These early examples demonstrate how photography played a crucial role in shaping the public image of popular music performers. This became particularly important with the emergence of the record industry in the early 20th century, as consumers' primary experience of music, which is listening to it of course, began to separate from the physical presence (and thus the image) of the performer.

In the early 1900s, when artists such as jazz legend Louis Armstrong and blues musician Bessie Smith were first being photographed by early practitioners of the medium. However, it wasn't until the 1960s and 1970s that music photography really flourished and began to come into its own as a genre. This was a time of immense change in the music industry, with the rise of rock and roll, the British Invasion, and the counterculture movement all contributing to a new era of music and style.

Bessie Smith poses for a portrait c. 1925

In the 1960s and '70s, photogs like Jim Marshall, Bob Gruen, and Mick Rock became household names. They captured iconic moments in music history, such as Jimi Hendrix setting his guitar on fire and the Beatles' final concert on a rooftop in London. These photographers brought a new level of intimacy and rawness to their images, reflecting the rebellious spirit of the era.

In the decades since, music photography has continued to evolve and diversify, with photographers like Danny Clinch, Annie Leibovitz, and Guido Harari pushing the boundaries of the art form. I’ll talk more about these incredible photographers at future date. Today, music photographers have an array of tools at their disposal, from traditional film cameras to digital cameras and even smartphones—their capabilities are truly remarkable and continue to improve every day. That said, while I’m a firm believer in the best camera is the one you have on you, smart phones just do not have the capability to work well in the situations that live concerts (especially those indoors with state lights) put photographers in. So sticking with your D/SLR or mirrorless camera with a fast lens is really the way you’re going to get good shots.

Despite the many changes that have occurred over the years, one thing remains constant: the power of music photography to capture the essence of a moment, a performer, and a genre.